Minor Eyecare Conditions
The Minor Eye Conditions Service (MECS) treats non-emergency conditions which do not necessarily need to be examined at a hospital, in convenient locations for local people. The service is provided by specially trained optometrists. To access MECS you can contact the participating optometry practice you’d like to be seen at. The practice will offer you their earliest MEC appointment, which will be within two weeks of you contacting them. If they do not have an appointment available within two weeks, they will refer you to another practice.
Conditions that can be seen by MECS include acute red eyes, acute irritated or inflamed eyes, sticky discharge or acute watery eyes, in-grown eyelashes, foreign bodies in the eye (urgent conditions will be redirected to A&E) and recently occurring flashes or floaters.
An acute condition is one with a sudden onset. If you have had red eyes, inflamed or irritated eyes, or watery eyes for many weeks or months this is called a chronic condition. You cannot get treatment for these from MECS. Please discuss any chronic eye issues with your regular optometrist or GP in the first instance.
It is important to remember that MECS is not a standard eye test service. Please note that children under 16 cannot be seen by MECS. If your child is under 16 and experiencing one of the above issues, please contact the GP practice they are registered with. You can find out more about MECS, including a list of opticians currently offering the service:
Minor Eye Conditions Service (MECS) Flyer May 2023
Please find below the link to download the list of practices currently enrolled in the MEC Service.